My Evening with Columbia Crest – Wine Tasting 101

Look, smell, taste. That’s it. Wine tasting 101. Ok, not exactly. There’s lots more to it, and with practice and close attention to your senses, you’ll be a wine tasting pro in no time.

I had the honor to sit down with Columbia Crest’s Head Winemaker, Juan Muñoz Oca, have dinner with him and some fellow Latina food and wine bloggers. We had the opportunity to chat with him about wine tasting and Columbia Crest’s line of Muscato, Cabernet and Red Blend.The evening was hosted by Hollywood’s newest restaurant/club, Lexington Social House and experienced executive chef, Mette William’s Rustic American cuisine.

Simple Wine Tasting: Wine tasting consists of using senses. Since your sense of taste is limited to sweet, salty, bitter and sour, you must also rely on your sense of smell to effectively identify the many unique characteristics of a great bottle of wine. Your sense of sight can also help pin point and differentiate if one batch of wine is older than another. It’s opacity and color tone can say alot about a wine. The wine is not just red or white, you must look beyond. Is it ruby red, maroon, brown? In whites; is it yellow, amber, gold or green?

Pairs well with heavy, flavorful, sweet and savory entrees such as bacon, chorizo and barbecue sauce flavors.

We enjoyed it with grilled quail, chorizo spoon bread and cherries.

Grilled Quail, Chorizo Spoon Bread & Cherries

Since the muscato (the first wine we tasted) can also be enjoyed with dessert, we decided to pair it once again with a delicious blackberry cobbler with just the right amount of pecan ice cream. A perfect ending to a very enjoyable and educational evening.

Dessert: Blackberry Cobbler & Pecan Ice Cream

Juan Muñoz Oca joined Columbia Crest in 2003. He worked alongside Ray Einberger and was dedicated to the winery’s red wine program. In 2011, Muñoz Oca was named Head Winemaker.

Columbia Crest Winery is located in Paterson, Washington and is recognized as the leading producer of acclaimed, high-quality wines from Washington state. Its 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon became the first Washington wine to be named ‘Wine of the Year’ by Wine Spectator in 2009.

About Me

Hi! I'm Ericka! Award-winning blogger, recipe developer and photographer. I'm a bicultural mom born in Mexico, raised in Texas and now living in Los Angeles, CA. Nibbles and Feasts was created to preserve and share my favorite traditional family recipes and new recipes inspired by my life in Los Angeles.